Xbox 720 unveiling pushed back to May 21, possibly due to always-on DRM snafu

The internet is up in arms over rumors that the next Xbox console will require an always-on connection. Imaginations are running wild, and we haven’t heard any official announcements from Microsoft. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll be waiting even longer than we once thought. While the original plan was to announce the Xbox 360’s successor later this month, it now looks like it will be unveiled on May 21. Is the event being pushed back to give Microsoft time to remove the always-on DRM that is rumored to be employed by the Xbox 720?

Both Paul Thurrott and The Verge have confirmed that the highly anticipated coming-out event has been pushed back by a month. While nothing is assured until Microsoft publicly acknowledges the event, the May 21 date seems to be quite solid. Until then, the internet is left to its own devices with the rumors about always-on connections for the Xbox 720. The longer people go without getting real answers, the more outlandish this always-on outrage is going to get.

The latest supposedly leaked information has the Xbox 720 launching at a ballsy $500 price point, but with a $300 with-contract option. Last year, Microsoft launched a pilot program that offered a 4GB Xbox 360 with a Kinect for only $99 as long as you signed up for two years of Xbox Live Gold. If this rumor is to be believed, the same kind of program will be employed going forward. While T-Mobile just became the first of the major US telecoms to drop the contract model, it appears that Microsoft is more than happy to pick up the slack, and embrace it in the gaming market.

Oh, how the tables have turned since the launch of the previous generation. With an initial price of $299, the 360 was a much easier sell than the PS3 with its $500 price tag. If Sony’s PS4 can effectively ride Microsoft’s negative publicity, it might be in a position to regain substantial marketshare lost with the PS3. If Sony has a contract-free $400 console without the always-on requirement, the marketing copy writes itself.

If Sony can dominate sales with the early adopters, it will be in a much stronger position to grab the casual audience when it comes time for a price drop. The average consumer might not know or care about always-on consoles, but bad news travels fast. As mainstream media starts picking up on the always-on backlash, it’s only a matter of time before the non-gamers start associating bad things with the next Xbox. If Microsoft doesn’t get out in front of this, it might as well be handing over sales directly to Sony. Waiting for May 21 to discuss anything about the Xbox 720 could seriously cost Microsoft in the long run.

These are not new consoles, these are low quality slow PCs not worth anything above $200 or $250 at most.

Instead they are asking twice the price for having spent nothing on R&D this time.

How to rip customers off.

nvidiasucks

Don`t be so ignorant, the HD 7870 is very powerful in a console environment. Most people don`t have anything close to a HD7870 or an 8 Core CPU.

I bet you don`t have neither

Jim_Watford

The numbers suggest something closer to a HD 7850, that’s a mid range card, It’s well short of the high end you can get for the PC, not that it matters, it’ll be one hell of an improvement over the current gen.

LZKashmir

Your ignorance is shocking. How to rip customers off? I think I paid $500 for my PS3, it’s still gaming, what, 7 years later? Not to mention a “helluva” blue ray player, dvd player, media center, and netflix streamer. When, yes when I get a PS4, my PS3 will still have a job in my house. Consoles are not a PC, they never were, they never will be, and most people who like them don’t want them to be. In the same time period (7 years), I have probably built 4 new PCs…reusing some parts, but upgrading CPU, GPU, and Ram every new build at least. Thousands of dollars. Want to talk about a rip off? And before you start with me, I’m not a console guy, I’ve been gaming on PC for about 14 years now. The PC is, has, and always will be better for graphics, depth, and game play (in my opinion). Some people DON’T CARE, they just want a box that plays their games so they can have fun. Why can’t you accept that? Let them be! I’ve seen at least 50 of your posts just vomiting your verbal console hating mouth diarrhea, good Lord…stfu. You sound insane. If someone wants to spend $500 on a console that’s their issue, I spend damn near twice as much on new video cards every two years…’cause I want to. Let it go man, let it go, some folks like consoles, some like PCs, some like Fords, some like Honda’s, some like red heads, some like blondes, some like strippers, some like church girls…let it go.

ae69ae69

You just killed chojin999 dreams of feeling important.

LZKashmir

Good. My patience for douche-baggery is getting thin in my old age, lol.

chojin999

Grow up little kids.

You are just plain pathetic.

You scare no one.

Babbling nonsense like that is not going to make you sound cool.

Jml

How about not you douche!!!!! M$ WILL DIE!!!!! METRO IS M$’S UNDOING!!!!!!

Joel Detrow

Don’t feed the troll.

Jml

OH OK!!!!

LZKashmir

Clever retort.

Joel Detrow

LOL just go away, troll

Joel Detrow

Chojin in a nutshell: IT R FRAUD UR A CHILD BLAAARRGH

IntelligentAj

My problem with comments like this are they don’t take into account the advantages of having to program for one set of hardware. Console optimization far exceeds PC optimization because PC Development can just develop for the newest hardware(to an extent, this is a simplification) whereas Console Developers have to optimize their games, and by extension code, for the same hardware. It’s much more complicated than you are making it seem

Joel Detrow

Don’t take him seriously, he’s just a troll.

Jml

How is it outdated? AMD Jaguar is a new low power APU!!!! The GPU is powerful as well and won’t use too much power either and they are going to a nettop out it as well.

Phobos

Just ignore him, he’s just a lousy troll. He never backs up his comments, with the always cheap, ultra cheap AMD APU’S. He probably can afford AMD that’s why he hates them so much lol.

http://twitter.com/fuckingskelley skelley

While T-Mobile just became the first of the major US telecoms to drop the contract model, it appears that Microsoft is more than happy to pick up the slack, and embrace it in the gaming market.

What about Steam and Blizzard? Why do those guys get a free pass?

Ring Bearer

I’m sorry, you have me confused, Steam? Subscriptions? Overcharging? Can you explain?

http://twitter.com/brijo00 Just Me

He can’t explain because he’s just spewing crap straight out of his rear end.

Robert Foy

You don’t pay for a “contract” or a “fee” to use Steam. And Blizzard sell mostly MMO-type games….ofc you will pay a monthly fee for those. And your comparing apples to oranges in a big way.

Having said that, Microsoft fell for Sony’s corporate espionage/disinformation scheme with flying colors. Sony let it out in various channels that they knew MS were going to hear from, that they were going to be going the always-on, no used games route. MS buys the disinformation hook, line, sinker. Sony then proceeds to debut the PS4 ahead of MS as it knew it would, and lo and behold they sodomize MS in one fell swoop by announcing that there would be no always-on requirement and that you could play used games on their system.

Microsoft is left with picking burnt rubber out of their anus from the royal sodomizing that Sony gave them in the corporate warfare department. That is, and only is, the reason why the “debut” of the XBOX is postponed. MS were all set and ready waiting to debut the console, but Sony being smarter than them and counting on MS’s hubris led to them having to go back tot he drawing board and resetting the always-on and no used games bullshit.

That’s exactly the reason why it was postponed. And if MS comes back and says “fuck it, it’s going to be online-only” anyways, that is what we people of intelligence call “hubris”. It will be their undoing. Just look at Windows 8 and the royal ass raping that it’s getting in the tablet and phone and DESKTOP department. Those are facts that anyone with an IQ of 80 can see for themselves via this thing we call “google”.

Phil

You must be a console gamer.

Stephen Webb

Herman Munster called. He wants you to come home now.

noobius

That shit was funny lol +1

DL

How exactly does “waiting til May 21st….could affect sales” even occur? Both next-gen consoles will have a Holiday 2013 release at the earliest. The consumers have a good six months or so to make a solid decision (based on the facts released). The Sony PS4 announcement was more-or-less a “hype” show. Microsoft likes to display solid facts when they make an announcement. I think one more month won’t hurt anyone…

Jim_Watford

This talk is damaging the brand, the longer it goes on the more damage is being done. It’s very hard to build a good reputation but it’s very easy to lose it.

Jml

M$ IS GOING TO DIE!!!!! M$ Windows 8 and METRO will be the death of them!!!! M$ is in deep horseshit now and there really isn’t much they can do about other than sell the console for $199!!!!!

ae69ae69

Because up until now, the next Xbox has been bad news. I consider myself an Xbox guy with over 25 games [25 X ($60+tax$5) $1,625] and if “always online” is true I’m getting the PS4 (and I’m bring all my friends with me). We are paying for the Xbox, we aren’t stealing it, who the hell are they to tell us we can’t play if we don’t have internet?

joe

i called the whole subscription thing back when microsoft first announced the whole 99 dollas xbox thing….its a rip off cuz your not paying $99 then 120 for live thats 220 they would charge like 15 bucks by the month costing gamers alot more…like a two year phone subscription, and waiting till may cost sales due to the fact more people will know about the quirks and rip offs and decide to go to the competion i went 360 to ps3 now im back to 360…if you have to have online and they do this subsciption model ill never buy another xbox product both moves are greedy and only hurt the core of its buisness..us gamers

Mike

If I have to pay again for xbox live just to play online, and/or these DRM rumours are true, I will be leaving Microsoft and jump on the PS4 bandwagon, as long as I can use a 3rd Party 360 controller (which I’m sure there will be) on the PS4; I’m sold. I’ve gone through 2 Xbox 360’s with the RROD, and I just bought the Slim half a year ago, fix this Microsoft, or I’ll never pay for a Microsoft product EVER again.

Patrick Jacobs

I think for the Xbox 720 you get a year of xbox live. The DRM rumour will not be true xbox will do the same thing Sony is doing

Jml

I don’t think so M$ wants Always on DRM. They want to become like apple and this DRM is another step towards that.

PromKnight

I don’t know why you’re all talking about this lie a “Playstation Fanboy” made-up about Xbox having a DRM BS, but please for the love of god I really want an always-on Xbox, it would be so much better then the current gen.

ae69ae69

You can keep it on all you want–even now. You’re just not forced to…

Jml

Not it wouldn’t be!!!!! M$ IS THE KING OF CRAPWARE NOW!!!!! M$ WINDOWS 8 and NOW THE SHITTY NEXT BOX!!!!!!!

Naipier

The OUYA (pronounced “ooh-yah”) is going to blow Sony and Microsoft out of the water once it’s out. The play station and Xbox series are far superior in sheer power, but the OUYA is incredibly customer friendly. Its an open platform console…a first of its kind. Cant wait!

Neutrino .

I’ll give you a +1, but it’s more out of hope than belief.

noobius

The Ouya I forgot all about that lol I can’t wait to pick one up it’ll be a collectors item after awhile . Like the N-gage

Strobeffect

The Ouya 3 will possibly have a Tegra 5 SoC which is said to be equal to our current console generation… I rather have our current generation of graphics than deal with the tyranny of a selfish uncooperative corporation.

noobius

Tegra 3 from what I’ve been reading

Strobeffect

The current Ouya will be a Tegra 3

Ouya 2 Tegra 4

Ouya 3 Tegra 5

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003976957614 Willy McBurgle

The difference with this upcoming gen is that Sony hasn’t made any mistakes. Arguably, the only reason the 360 did as well as it did is because the epic trail of mistakes that Sony left from the inception of the PS3, it’s development path, it’s marketing and it’s pricing, etc. Now that is not the case.

Jml

SUCK IT M$ SUCK IT DOWN!!!!!

Jml

DIE MICRO$OFT DIE!!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1363021071 Calvin Garcia

sell the old xbox for $99 and sell the new one for $300 pluse 2 years money hungry dont care about nothing but money 360 they drop after a year shut off online games for 360 no games

LZKashmir

Since when is it a bad thing for a company to be “money hungry”? Money, or profits, are what drive businesses. If they didn’t make money they wouldn’t exist, and thus neither would the jobs from the primary, secondary, and tertiary businesses. Plus we wouldn’t have all this cool stuff to buy. I assume you have a job, if your company wasn’t money hungry you might be out on the street. There is nothing evil about profit.

Ron Mayer

Wow someone who has an understanding of economics. You are not human are you? Martian? Venusian maybe?

http://www.facebook.com/trevor.walsh.961 Trevor Walsh

I have always had an Xbox in their many forms from a young
age and have stuck with MS and always believed that PlayStation was a basic and
poorly made console (just look at the ps3). If MS go with the always on line
DRM nonsense then I will seriously look at the ps4 and it will break my heart to
do so , AND I will bring all my online
friends with me

http://www.facebook.com/MASTA.SUSHII Gabriel Nieto

Why would it get pushed back because of an always online connection? First of all that is just a rumor second of all if it was true they could run the event with the feature and just not tell you it has it then remove it.

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